However, the glory was fleeting. The fall from grace was steep and harsh, and after a series of seven flops, Rajesh candidly revealed in an interview with Amitabh Bachchan that he experienced a dramatic breakdown on his rooftop.
Khanna recounted a night of deep despair in an interview with Movie magazine in May 1990. He described a moment of vulnerability when, overwhelmed by his first experience of failure after seven consecutive flops, he found himself alone on his terrace during a dark, rainy night. His emotional state was shattered by the weight of his recent setbacks.
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The late actor shared that in his moment of crisis, he cried out in despair, questioning his faith after enduring repeated failures. His dramatic reaction, which alarmed both his wife Dimple Kapadia and his staff, was a result of being unable to cope with the sharp contrast between his past success and present setbacks. Miraculously, the following day, producer Balaji unexpectedly offered him the film Amar Deep (1958), which provided a crucial turning point in his career.
Rajesh Khanna’s impressive streak of 17 consecutive hits includes classics like Aradhana, Doli, Bandhan, Ittefaq, Do Raaste, Khamoshi, Safar, The Train, Kati Patang, Sachaa Jhutha, Aan Milo Sajna, Mehboob Ki Mehendi, Choti Bahu, Anand, Andaz, Maryada, and Haathi Mere Saathi. However, his run of success ended in 1971 with the box-office failure of Badnam Farishte.
In the same interview, Rajesh Khanna questioned Amitabh Bachchan’s ability to stay unaffected by the ups and downs of their careers. He expressed his amazement, remarking that while he himself was not a superhuman, he found it surprising that Amitabh remained so composed in the face of success and failure.
